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Wei Q, Xue C, Li M, Wei J, Zheng L, Chen S, Duan Y, Deng H, Tang F, Xiong W, Zhou M. Ferroptosis: a critical mechanism of N 6-methyladenosine modification involved in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 67:1119-1132. [PMID: 38811442 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2474-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent regulatory cell necrosis induced by iron overload and lipid peroxidation. It occurs when multiple redox-active enzymes are ectopically expressed or show abnormal function. Hence, the precise regulation of ferroptosis-related molecules is mediated across multiple levels, including transcriptional, posttranscriptional, translational, and epigenetic levels. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a highly evolutionarily conserved epigenetic modification in mammals. The m6A modification is commonly linked to tumor proliferation, progression, and therapy resistance because it is involved in RNA metabolic processes. Intriguingly, accumulating evidence suggests that dysregulated ferroptosis caused by the m6A modification drives tumor development. In this review, we summarized the roles of m6A regulators in ferroptosis-mediated malignant tumor progression and outlined the m6A regulatory mechanism involved in ferroptosis pathways. We also analyzed the potential value and application strategies of targeting m6A/ferroptosis pathway in the clinical diagnosis and therapy of tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Wei
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
| | - Changning Xue
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
| | - Mengna Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
| | - Jianxia Wei
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
| | - Lemei Zheng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Oncotarget Gene, Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Shipeng Chen
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
| | - Yumei Duan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
| | - Hongyu Deng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Oncotarget Gene, Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Faqing Tang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Oncotarget Gene, Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
| | - Ming Zhou
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China.
- Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China.
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Oncotarget Gene, Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China.
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Jo SY, Hong N, Lee S, Jeong JJ, Won J, Park J, Kim GJ, Kim SK, Kim S, Rhee Y. Genomic and transcriptomic profiling reveal molecular characteristics of parathyroid carcinoma. Exp Mol Med 2023:10.1038/s12276-023-00968-4. [PMID: 37121965 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-023-00968-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic and transcriptomic profiling has enhanced the diagnostic and treatment options for many cancers. However, the molecular characteristics of parathyroid cancer remain largely unexplored, thereby limiting the development of new therapeutic interventions. Herein, we conducted genomic and transcriptomic sequencing of 50 parathyroid tissues (12 carcinomas, 28 adenomas, and 10 normal tissues) to investigate the intrinsic and comparative molecular features of parathyroid carcinoma. We confirmed multiple two-hit mutation patterns in cell division cycle 73 (CDC73) that converged to biallelic inactivation, calling into question the presence of a second hit in other genes. In addition, allele-specific repression of CDC73 in copies with germline-truncating variants suggested selective pressure prior to tumorigenesis. Transcriptomic analysis identified upregulation of the expression of E2F targets, KRAS and TNF-alpha signaling, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathways in carcinomas compared to adenomas and normal tissues. A molecular classification model based on carcinoma-specific genes clearly separated carcinomas from adenomas and normal tissues, the clinical utility of which was demonstrated in two patients with uncertain malignant potential. A deeper analysis of gene expression and functional prediction suggested that Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) is a potential biomarker for CDC73-mutant parathyroid carcinoma, which was further validated through immunohistochemistry. Overall, our study revealed the genomic and transcriptomic profiles of parathyroid carcinoma and may help direct future precision diagnostic and therapeutic improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se-Young Jo
- Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Namki Hong
- Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Endocrine Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Seunghyun Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Endocrine Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wonju Severance Christian Hospital, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea
| | - Jong Ju Jeong
- Department of Surgery, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jeongsoo Won
- Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jiho Park
- Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Gi Jeong Kim
- Department of Pathology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sang Kyum Kim
- Department of Pathology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sangwoo Kim
- Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Postech Biotech Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Korea.
| | - Yumie Rhee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Severance Hospital, Endocrine Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
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3
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Antropova E, Khlebodarova T, Demenkov P, Venzel A, Ivanisenko N, Gavrilenko A, Ivanisenko T, Adamovskaya A, Revva P, Lavrik I, Ivanisenko V. Computer analysis of regulation of hepatocarcinoma marker genes hypermethylated by HCV proteins. Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genet Selektsii 2022; 26:733-742. [PMID: 36714033 PMCID: PMC9840909 DOI: 10.18699/vjgb-22-89] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a risk factor that leads to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. Epigenetic changes are known to play an important role in the molecular genetic mechanisms of virus-induced oncogenesis. Aberrant DNA methylation is a mediator of epigenetic changes that are closely associated with the HCC pathogenesis and considered a biomarker for its early diagnosis. The ANDSystem software package was used to reconstruct and evaluate the statistical significance of the pathways HCV could potentially use to regulate 32 hypermethylated genes in HCC, including both oncosuppressor and protumorigenic ones identified by genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation. The reconstructed pathways included those affecting protein-protein interactions (PPI), gene expression, protein activity, stability, and transport regulations, the expression regulation pathways being statistically significant. It has been shown that 8 out of 10 HCV proteins were involved in these pathways, the HCV NS3 protein being implicated in the largest number of regulatory pathways. NS3 was associated with the regulation of 5 tumor-suppressor genes, which may be the evidence of its central role in HCC pathogenesis. Analysis of the reconstructed pathways has demonstrated that following the transcription factor inhibition caused by binding to viral proteins, the expression of a number of oncosuppressors (WT1, MGMT, SOCS1, P53) was suppressed, while the expression of others (RASF1, RUNX3, WIF1, DAPK1) was activated. Thus, the performed gene-network reconstruction has shown that HCV proteins can influence not only the methylation status of oncosuppressor genes, but also their transcriptional regulation. The results obtained can be used in the search for pharmacological targets to develop new drugs against HCV-induced HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- E.A. Antropova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - T.M. Khlebodarova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scences, Novosibirsk, RussiaKurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - P.S. Demenkov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scences, Novosibirsk, RussiaKurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - A.S. Venzel
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scences, Novosibirsk, RussiaKurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - N.V. Ivanisenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scences, Novosibirsk, RussiaKurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - A.D. Gavrilenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scences, Novosibirsk, RussiaNovosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - T.V. Ivanisenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scences, Novosibirsk, RussiaKurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - A.V. Adamovskaya
- Kurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, RussiaNovosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - P.M. Revva
- Kurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, RussiaKurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - I.N. Lavrik
- Translational Inflammation Research, Medical Faculty, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - V.A. Ivanisenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scences, Novosibirsk, RussiaKurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, RussiaNovosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
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Lee WC, Chiu CH, Chu TH, Chien YS. WT1: The Hinge Between Anemia Correction and Cancer Development in Chronic Kidney Disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:876723. [PMID: 35465313 PMCID: PMC9019781 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.876723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia-inducible factor-prolyl hydroxylase inhibitors (HIF-PHIs) emerge as promising agents to treat anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) but the major concern is their correlated risk of cancer development and progression. The Wilms’ tumor gene, WT1, is transcriptionally regulated by HIF and is known to play a crucial role in tumorigenesis and invasiveness of certain types of cancers. From the mechanism of action of HIF–PHIs, to cancer hypoxia and the biological significance of WT1, this review will discuss the link between HIF, WT1, anemia correction, and cancer. We aimed to reveal the research gaps and offer a focused strategy to monitor the development and progression of specific types of cancer when using HIF–PHIs to treat anemia in CKD patients. In addition, to facilitate the long-term use of HIF–PHIs in anemic CKD patients, we will discuss the strategy of WT1 inhibition to reduce the development and progression of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Chin Lee
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Hua Chiu
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Tian-Huei Chu
- Medical Laboratory, Medical Education and Research Center, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Shu Chien
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- *Correspondence: Yu-Shu Chien,
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Chen J, Zhang Q, Liu T, Tang H. Roles of M6A Regulators in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Promotion or Suppression. Curr Gene Ther 2021; 22:40-50. [PMID: 34825870 DOI: 10.2174/1566523221666211126105940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth globally diagnosed cancer with a poor prognosis. Although the pathological factors of hepatocellular carcinoma are well elucidated, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is an adenosine methylation occurring at the N6 site, which is the most prevalent modification of eukaryotic mRNA. Recent studies have shown that m6A can regulate gene expression, thus modulating the processes of cell self-renewal, differentiation, and apoptosis. The methyls in m6A are installed by methyltransferases ("writers"), removed by demethylases ("erasers") and recognized by m6A-binding proteins ("readers"). In this review, we discuss the roles of above regulators in the progression and prognosis of HCC, and summarize the clinical association between m6A modification and hepatocellular carcinoma, so as to provide more valuable information for clinical treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiamao Chen
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Ting Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Hua Tang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
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Qu N, Bo X, Li B, Ma L, Wang F, Zheng Q, Xiao X, Huang F, Shi Y, Zhang X. Role of N6-Methyladenosine (m 6A) Methylation Regulators in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:755206. [PMID: 34692544 PMCID: PMC8529104 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.755206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is the fifth most common malignant tumor in terms of incidence and the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer. Although great progress has been made in surgical techniques, hepatic artery chemoembolization, molecular targeting and immunotherapy, the prognosis of liver cancer patients remains very poor. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant internal RNA modification in eukaryotic cells and regulates various stages of the RNA life cycle. Many studies have reported that the abnormal expression of m6A-related regulators in HCC represent diagnostic and prognostic markers and potential therapeutic targets. In this review, firstly, we introduce the latest research on m6A-related regulators in detail. Next, we summarize the mechanism of each regulator in the pathogenesis and progression of HCC. Finally, we summarize the potential diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic value of the regulators currently reported in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanfang Qu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Xiaotong Bo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Bin Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Lei Ma
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Qinghua Zheng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Xuhua Xiao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Fengmei Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Yuanyuan Shi
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Xuemei Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
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Charneau J, Suzuki T, Shimomura M, Fujinami N, Nakatsura T. Peptide-Based Vaccines for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review of Recent Advances. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2021; 8:1035-1054. [PMID: 34513746 PMCID: PMC8424432 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s291558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary liver cancer is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. After surgery, up to 70% of patients experience relapses. The current first-line therapy for advanced cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) comprises sorafenib and lenvatinib administered as single-drug therapies. Regorafenib, cabozantinib, and ramucirumab are administered as second-line therapies. Recently, it has been reported that using the immune checkpoint inhibitors atezolizumab (anti-PDL1 antibody) and bevacizumab (anti-VEGF antibody) leads to longer overall survival of unresectable cases, when compared with the use of sorafenib. The role of cancer immunity against HCC has attracted the attention of clinicians. In this review, we describe our phase I/II clinical trials of peptide vaccines targeting GPC3 in HCC and discuss the potential of peptide vaccines targeting common cancer antigens that are highly expressed in HCC, such as WT-I, AFP, ROBO1, and FOXM1. Further, we introduce recent cancer vaccines targeting neoantigens, which have attracted attention in recent times, as well as present our preclinical studies, the results of which might aid to initiate a neoantigen vaccine clinical trial, which would be the first of its kind in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimmy Charneau
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Suzuki
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Manami Shimomura
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
| | - Norihiro Fujinami
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Nakatsura
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
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Liu W, Gao X, Chen X, Zhao N, Sun Y, Zou Y, Guan Y, Yang L, Pei X, Wang G, Wang B, Li M, Song W. miR-139-5p Loss-Mediated WTAP Activation Contributes to Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by Promoting the Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition. Front Oncol 2021; 11:611544. [PMID: 33937023 PMCID: PMC8083052 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.611544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary aggressive gastrointestinal neoplasm that affects patients worldwide. It has been shown that Wilms' tumor 1-associating protein (WTAP) is frequently upregulated in various cancers. However, the potential role of WTAP in HCC remains largely unknown. Methods: The expression levels of WTAP in human HCC tissues were determined by the western blotting and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. A correlation between the WTAP expression, clinicopathological features, and the HCC prognosis was analyzed. The WTAP expression was silenced by short hairpin RNA (shRNA), and effects of the knockdown of WTAP on the proliferation and invasion of HCC cells were assessed. The microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in the regulation of the WTAP expression were identified by a bioinformatics analysis and further confirmed by in vitro assays. Results: The expression levels of WTAP in liver cancer tissues were significantly elevated and compared with those in the adjacent normal tissues and significantly correlated with the clinical stage and prognosis in patients with HCC. Further investigation revealed that the knockdown of WTAP drastically suppressed HCC cell proliferation and invasion abilities. Luciferase reporter assay and validation experiments confirmed that WTAP was a direct target of miR-139-5p. Moreover, the overexpression of WTAP could partly abolish the inhibitory effects of miR-139-5p on the HCC cell growth and invasion. Mechanistically, we revealed that the miR-139-5p/WTAP axis regulated the HCC progression by controlling the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Conclusions: In summary, the results indicate that WTAP is a potential oncogene in HCC and miR-139-5p negatively regulates the WTAP expression. MiR-139-5p/WTAP can be utilized as a potential therapeutic target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenli Liu
- Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical Technology College, Beihua University, Jilin, China
| | - Xuewei Gao
- Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical Technology College, Beihua University, Jilin, China
| | - Xiaolong Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Na Zhao
- Institute of Military Veterinary Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Ying Sun
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yawen Zou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yize Guan
- Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical Technology College, Beihua University, Jilin, China
| | - Lin Yang
- Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical Technology College, Beihua University, Jilin, China
| | - Xiaoxian Pei
- Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical Technology College, Beihua University, Jilin, China
| | - Guozhen Wang
- Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical Technology College, Beihua University, Jilin, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical Technology College, Beihua University, Jilin, China
| | - Mingcheng Li
- Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical Technology College, Beihua University, Jilin, China
| | - Wengang Song
- Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical Technology College, Beihua University, Jilin, China
- School of Medicine, Beihua University, Jilin, China
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9
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Pardee AD, Butterfield LH. Immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma: Unique challenges and clinical opportunities. Oncoimmunology 2021. [PMID: 22720211 DOI: 10.4161/onc-i.1.1.18344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Current therapies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are marginally effective and exacerbate underlying liver disease. The ability of immunotherapy to elicit nontoxic, systemic, long-lived anti-tumor activity makes it particularly well-suited for use in the setting of HCC. While therapeutic benefit has been achieved in early clinical trials, the efficacy of immune-based therapies is limited by several unique properties of HCC, most notably the inherently tolerogenic character of the liver in both healthy and diseased (chronically-infected or tumor-bearing) states. Therapeutic regimens that both counteract these immunosuppressive mechanisms and amplify tumor-specific immunity are expected to profoundly improve clinical outcomes for HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela D Pardee
- Department of Medicine; University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Pittsburgh, PA USA
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10
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Pardee AD, Butterfield LH. Immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma: Unique challenges and clinical opportunities. Oncoimmunology 2021; 1:48-55. [PMID: 22720211 PMCID: PMC3376967 DOI: 10.4161/onci.1.1.18344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Current therapies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are marginally effective and exacerbate underlying liver disease. The ability of immunotherapy to elicit nontoxic, systemic, long-lived anti-tumor activity makes it particularly well-suited for use in the setting of HCC. While therapeutic benefit has been achieved in early clinical trials, the efficacy of immune-based therapies is limited by several unique properties of HCC, most notably the inherently tolerogenic character of the liver in both healthy and diseased (chronically-infected or tumor-bearing) states. Therapeutic regimens that both counteract these immunosuppressive mechanisms and amplify tumor-specific immunity are expected to profoundly improve clinical outcomes for HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela D Pardee
- Department of Medicine; University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Pittsburgh, PA USA
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11
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Gu C, Shi X, Dai C, Shen F, Rocco G, Chen J, Huang Z, Chen C, He C, Huang T, Chen C. RNA m 6A Modification in Cancers: Molecular Mechanisms and Potential Clinical Applications. Innovation (N Y) 2020; 1:100066. [PMID: 34557726 PMCID: PMC8454620 DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2020.100066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification brings a new dawn for RNA modification researches in recent years. This posttranscriptional RNA modification is dynamic and reversible, and is regulated by methylases ("writers"), demethylases ("erasers"), and proteins that preferentially recognize m6A modifications ("readers"). The change of RNA m6A modification regulates RNA metabolism in eucaryon, including translation, splicing, exporting, decay, and processing. Thereby the dysregulation of m6A may lead to tumorigenesis and progression. Given the tumorigenic role of abnormal m6A expression, m6A regulators may function as potential clinical therapeutic targets for cancers. In this review, we emphasize on the underlying mechanisms of m6A modifications in tumorigenesis and further introduce the potential m6A regulators-associated therapeutic targets for tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Gu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xin Shi
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Chenyang Dai
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Feng Shen
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Gaetano Rocco
- Thoracic Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA,Druckenmiller Center for Lung Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jiafei Chen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Zhengyu Huang
- Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Chunji Chen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chuan He
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA,Medical Scientist Training Program/Committee on Cancer Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA,Corresponding author
| | - Tao Huang
- Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China,Corresponding author
| | - Chang Chen
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200433, China,Corresponding author
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12
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Zhao Z, Meng J, Su R, Zhang J, Chen J, Ma X, Xia Q. Epitranscriptomics in liver disease: Basic concepts and therapeutic potential. J Hepatol 2020; 73:664-679. [PMID: 32330603 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2020.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of next-generation sequencing technology and the discovery of specific antibodies targeting chemically modified nucleotides have paved the way for a new era of epitranscriptomics. Cellular RNA is known to dynamically and reversibly undergo different chemical modifications after transcription, such as N6-methyladenosine (m6A), N1-methyladenosine, N6,2'-O-dimethyladenosine, 5-methylcytosine, and 5-hydroxymethylcytidine, whose identity and location comprise the field of epitranscriptomics. Dynamic post-transcriptional modifications determine the fate of target RNAs by regulating various aspects of their processing, including RNA export, transcript processing, splicing, and degradation. The most abundant internal mRNA modification in eukaryotic cells is m6A, which exhibits essential roles in physiological processes, such as embryogenesis, carcinogenesis, and neurogenesis. m6A is deposited by the m6A methyltransferase complex (composed of METTL3/14/16, WTAP, KIAA1429, and RBM15/15B), erased by demethylases (FTO and ALKBH5), and recognised by binding proteins (e.g., YTHDF1/2/3, YTHDC1/2, IGF2BP1/2/3). The liver is the largest digestive and metabolic organ, and m6A modifications play unique roles in critical physiological hepatic functions and various liver diseases. This review focuses on the biological roles of m6A RNA methylation in lipid metabolism, viral hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, liver cancer, and tumour metastasis. In addition, we summarise the existing inhibitors targeting m6A regulators and discuss the potential of modulating m6A modifications as a therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhicong Zhao
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China; Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA
| | - Jiaxiang Meng
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Rui Su
- Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA
| | - Jun Zhang
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai 200001, China
| | - Jianjun Chen
- Department of Systems Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Monrovia, CA 91016, USA
| | - Xiong Ma
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, State Key Laboratory for Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Shanghai 200001, China.
| | - Qiang Xia
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China.
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13
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Diagnostic and Prognostic Role of WT1 Immunohistochemical Expression in Uterine Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis across All Endometrial Carcinoma Histotypes. Diagnostics (Basel) 2020; 10:diagnostics10090637. [PMID: 32859123 PMCID: PMC7555656 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics10090637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The diagnostic role of Wilms’ tumor 1 (WT1) is well known in gynaeco-pathological setting, since it is considered a specific marker of serous histotype and adnexal origin. Moreover, its oncogenic role has been recently highlighted in many cancers and it has also been regarded as a promising target antigen for cancer immunotherapy. However, the relationship between its expression and prognostic role in uterine cancer remains unclear. We analyzed the diagnostic and prognostic role of WT1 expression in patients with uterine carcinoma by completing a search using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and the PICOS (Participants, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, Study Design) model through PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases to identify studies that fit our search criteria. The objective of the current meta-analysis was to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic role of WT1 expression in patients with uterine carcinoma. Materials and Methods: A literature search was performed of the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for English-language studies published from January 2000 to April 2020. Studies were considered eligible if they evaluated the WT1 expression in uterine carcinoma. Results: In total, 35 articles were identified that used uterine carcinoma criteria and provided data for 1616 patients. The overall rate of WT1 expression in uterine carcinoma was 25%. The subgroup analysis of uterine cancer types revealed that WT1 was expressed differently among different histotypes (endometrioid, clear cell, serous carcinoma and carcinosarcoma). Discussion and Conclusions: The WT1 immunohistochemical expression is not limited to serous histotype and/or ovarian origin. In fact, a significant proportion of endometrial adenocarcinomas can also show WT1 immunoreactivity. Moreover, our study suggests that WT1 may be a potential marker to predict the prognosis of patients with uterine cancer, but more studies are needed to confirm its role in clinical practice.
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14
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Zhou Q, Andersson R, Hu D, Bauden M, Kristl T, Sasor A, Pawłowski K, Pla I, Hilmersson KS, Zhou M, Lu F, Marko-Varga G, Ansari D. Quantitative proteomics identifies brain acid soluble protein 1 (BASP1) as a prognostic biomarker candidate in pancreatic cancer tissue. EBioMedicine 2019; 43:282-294. [PMID: 30982764 PMCID: PMC6557784 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic cancer is a heterogenous disease with a poor prognosis. This study aimed to discover and validate prognostic tissue biomarkers in pancreatic cancer using a mass spectrometry (MS) based proteomics approach. METHODS Global protein sequencing of fresh frozen pancreatic cancer and healthy pancreas tissue samples was conducted by MS to discover potential protein biomarkers. Selected candidate proteins were further verified by targeted proteomics using parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). The expression of biomarker candidates was validated by immunohistochemistry in a large tissue microarray (TMA) cohort of 141 patients with resectable pancreatic cancer. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard modelling was used to investigate the prognostic utility of candidate protein markers. FINDINGS In the initial MS-discovery phase, 165 proteins were identified as potential biomarkers. In the subsequent MS-verification phase, a panel of 45 candidate proteins was verified by the development of a PRM assay. Brain acid soluble protein 1 (BASP1) was identified as a new biomarker candidate for pancreatic cancer possessing largely unknown biological and clinical functions and was selected for further analysis. Importantly, bioinformatic analysis indicated that BASP1 interacts with Wilms tumour protein (WT1) in pancreatic cancer. TMA-based immunohistochemistry analysis showed that BASP1 was an independent predictor of prolonged survival (HR 0.468, 95% CI 0.257-0.852, p = .013) and predicted favourable response to adjuvant chemotherapy, whereas WT1 indicated a worsened survival (HR 1.636, 95% CI 1.083-2.473, p = .019) and resistance to chemotherapy. Interaction analysis showed that patients with negative BASP1 and high WT1 expression had the poorest outcome (HR 3.536, 95% CI 1.336-9.362, p = .011). INTERPRETATION We here describe an MS-based proteomics platform for developing biomarkers for pancreatic cancer. Bioinformatic analysis and clinical data from our study suggest that BASP1 and its putative interaction partner WT1 can be used as biomarkers for predicting outcomes in pancreatic cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qimin Zhou
- Department of Surgery, Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University and Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden; The Eye Hospital, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Roland Andersson
- Department of Surgery, Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University and Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Dingyuan Hu
- Department of Surgery, Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University and Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Monika Bauden
- Department of Surgery, Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University and Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Theresa Kristl
- Department of Surgery, Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University and Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Agata Sasor
- Department of Pathology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Krzysztof Pawłowski
- Department of Experimental Design and Bioinformatics, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland; Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Indira Pla
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Clinical Protein Science and Imaging, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Katarzyna Said Hilmersson
- Department of Surgery, Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University and Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Mengtao Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Fan Lu
- The Eye Hospital, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - György Marko-Varga
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Clinical Protein Science and Imaging, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Daniel Ansari
- Department of Surgery, Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University and Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
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15
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McGregor RJ, Chau YY, Kendall TJ, Artibani M, Hastie N, Hadoke PWF. WT1 expression in vessels varies with histopathological grade in tumour-bearing and control tissue from patients with breast cancer. Br J Cancer 2018; 119:1508-1517. [PMID: 30374123 PMCID: PMC6288121 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-018-0317-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Wilms' tumour protein (WT1), which influences tumour development and angiogenesis, is a promising therapeutic target in breast cancer. We hypothesised that WT1 expression would vary in endothelial cells in distinct sub-classifications of breast cancer. METHODS WT1 expression and vascular density were quantified by immunohistochemical analysis of human (n = 57) and murine breast cancers. Human tumours were sub-classified by histopathological grade, ER status and HER2 enrichment. RESULTS WT1 was identified in endothelial (and epithelial and smooth muscle) cells in tumours and tumour-free tissues (controls) from patients and mice with breast cancer. WT1 expression was higher in tumours than in controls, but this was not due to increased endothelial WT1. Vascular WT1 in cancers decreased as histopathological grade increased. WT1 was higher in ER-positive versus ER-negative cancers. Strikingly, reduced WT1 expression in controls correlated with an increased Nottingham Prognostic Index score. CONCLUSIONS Expression of WT1 is increased in breast cancers but this is not limited to the vascular compartment. The association between reduced WT1 in tumour-free tissue and poor prognosis suggests a protective role for WT1 in the healthy breast.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - You-Ying Chau
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Edinburgh, UK.,MRC HGU at the MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM), Edinburgh, UK
| | - Timothy J Kendall
- MRC HGU at the MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM), Edinburgh, UK.,Division of Pathology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mara Artibani
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nicholas Hastie
- MRC HGU at the MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM), Edinburgh, UK
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16
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Krivtsova O, Makarova A, Lazarevich N. Aberrant expression of alternative isoforms of transcription factors in hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Hepatol 2018; 10:645-661. [PMID: 30386458 PMCID: PMC6206146 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v10.i10.645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide and the second leading cause of death among all cancer types. Deregulation of the networks of tissue-specific transcription factors (TFs) observed in HCC leads to profound changes in the hepatic transcriptional program that facilitates tumor progression. In addition, recent reports suggest that substantial aberrations in the production of TF isoforms occur in HCC. In vitro experiments have identified distinct isoform-specific regulatory functions and related biological effects of liver-specific TFs that are implicated in carcinogenesis, which may be relevant for tumor progression and clinical outcome. This study reviews available data on the expression of isoforms of liver-specific and ubiquitous TFs in the liver and HCC and their effects, including HNF4α, C/EBPs, p73 and TCF7L2, and indicates that assessment of the ratio of isoforms and targeting specific TF variants may be beneficial for the prognosis and treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Krivtsova
- Federal State Budgetary Institution, “N. N. Blokhin Medical Research Center of Oncology” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 115478, Russian
- M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russian
| | - Anna Makarova
- Federal State Budgetary Institution, “N. N. Blokhin Medical Research Center of Oncology” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 115478, Russian
| | - Natalia Lazarevich
- Federal State Budgetary Institution, “N. N. Blokhin Medical Research Center of Oncology” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 115478, Russian
- M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russian
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17
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Tagliamonte M, Petrizzo A, Mauriello A, Tornesello ML, Buonaguro FM, Buonaguro L. Potentiating cancer vaccine efficacy in liver cancer. Oncoimmunology 2018; 7:e1488564. [PMID: 30288355 PMCID: PMC6169594 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2018.1488564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver malignancy with a poor prognosis and an overall 5-year survival rate of approximately 5-6%. This is due because standard of care treatment options are limited and none of them shows a sufficient efficacy. HCC is an "inflammation-induced cancer" and preliminary preclinical and clinical data suggest that immunotherapeutic approaches may be a good alternative candidate for the treatment of HCC patients improving the dismal prognosis associated with this cancer. However, recent findings strongly suggest that an optimal immunotherapy in HCC requires the combination of an immune activator with immune modulators, aiming at compensating the strong liver immune suppressive microenvironment. One of the most promising strategy could be represented by the combination of a cancer vaccine with immunomodulatory drugs, such as chemotherapy and checkpoint inhibitors. Very limited examples of such combinatorial strategies have been evaluated in HCC to date, because HCC easily develops resistance to standard chemotherapy, which is also poorly tolerated by patients with liver cirrhosis. The present review describes the most update knowledge in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Maria Lina Tornesello
- Lab of Molecular Biology & Viral Oncology, Dept Experimental Oncology, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, “Fondazione Pascale” - IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | - Franco M Buonaguro
- Lab of Molecular Biology & Viral Oncology, Dept Experimental Oncology, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, “Fondazione Pascale” - IRCCS, Naples, Italy
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18
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Kanai T, Ito Z, Oji Y, Suka M, Nishida S, Takakura K, Kajihara M, Saruta M, Fujioka S, Misawa T, Akiba T, Yanagisawa H, Shimodaira S, Okamoto M, Sugiyama H, Koido S. Prognostic significance of Wilms' tumor 1 expression in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Oncol Lett 2018; 16:2682-2692. [PMID: 30008944 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.8961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The only current curative treatment for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is surgical resection, and certain patients still succumb to disease shortly after complete surgical resection. Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) serves an oncogenic role in various types of tumors; therefore, in the present study, WT1 protein expression in patients with PDA was analyzed and the association with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) time in patients with PDA was assessed following surgical resection. A total of 50 consecutive patients with PDA who received surgical resection between January 2005 and December 2015 at the Jikei University Kashiwa Hospital (Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan) were enrolled. WT1 protein expression in PDA tissue was measured using immunohistochemical staining. Furthermore, laboratory parameters were measured within 2 weeks of surgery, and systemic inflammatory response markers were evaluated. WT1 protein expression was detected in the nucleus and cytoplasm of all PDA cells and in tumor vessels. WT1 exhibited weak staining in the nuclei of all PDA cells; however, the cytoplasmic expression of WT1 levels was classified into four groups: Negative (n=0), weak (n=19), moderate (n=23) and strong (n=8). In patients with PDA, it was demonstrated that the OS and DFS times of patients with weak cytoplasmic WT1 expression were significantly prolonged compared with those of patients with moderate-to-strong cytoplasmic WT1 expression, as determined by log-rank test (P=0.0005 and P=0.0001, respectively). Furthermore, an association between the density of WT1-expressing tumor vessels and worse OS/DFS times was detected. Multivariate analysis also indicated a significant association between the overexpression of WT1 in PDA tissue and worse OS/DFS times. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to demonstrate that moderate-to-strong overexpression of WT1 in the cytoplasm of PDA cells is significantly associated with worse OS/DFS times. Therefore, overexpression of WT1 in the cytoplasm of PDA cells may impact the recurrence and prognosis of patients with PDA following surgical resection. The results further support the development of WT1-targeted therapies to prolong survival in all patients with PDA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoya Kanai
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Kashiwa Hospital, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8567, Japan
| | - Zensho Ito
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Kashiwa Hospital, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8567, Japan
| | - Yusuke Oji
- Department of Functional Diagnostic Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Machi Suka
- Department of Public Health and Environmental Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo 105-8571, Japan
| | - Sumiyuki Nishida
- Department of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kazuki Takakura
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Kashiwa Hospital, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8567, Japan
| | - Mikio Kajihara
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Kashiwa Hospital, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8567, Japan
| | - Masayuki Saruta
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo 105-8571, Japan
| | - Shuichi Fujioka
- Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Kashiwa Hospital, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8567, Japan
| | - Takeyuki Misawa
- Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Kashiwa Hospital, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8567, Japan
| | - Tadashi Akiba
- Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Kashiwa Hospital, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8567, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Yanagisawa
- Department of Public Health and Environmental Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo 105-8571, Japan
| | - Shigetaka Shimodaira
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan
| | - Masato Okamoto
- Department of Advanced Immunotherapeutics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Haruo Sugiyama
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shigeo Koido
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Kashiwa Hospital, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8567, Japan.,Institute of Clinical Medicine and Research, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8567, Japan
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19
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Lu J, Gu Y, Li Q, Zhong H, Wang X, Zheng Z, Hu W, Wen L. Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) as a prognosis factor in gynecological cancers: A meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2018; 97:e11485. [PMID: 29995811 PMCID: PMC6076078 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000011485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The oncogenic role of Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) which is regarded as a promising target antigen for cancer immunotherapy has been demonstrated in many types of cancer, but the relationship between expression of WT1 and the prognosis value in gynecological cancer reminds unclear.We performed a meta-analysis with thirteen published studies including 2205 patients searched from PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, whose results are expressed by overall survival (OS) or disease-specific survival (DSS) or disease-free survival or relapse/recurrence-free survival (RFS) or progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with gynecological cancer. The hazard ratio (HR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to investigate prognostic of WT1 expression in patients with gynecological cancer.Finally, the overexpression of WT1 was borderlinely associated with poor OS (metaHR = 1.51, 95% CI = 0.98-2.31) in univariate model. We found a significant association with poor DSS (metaHR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.24-2.08) and DFS/RFS/PFS (metaHR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.22-3.46). The subgroup analyses revealed that the expression of WT1 predicted the poor DSS (metaHR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.42-2.73), and DFS/RFS/PFS (metaHR = 2.51, 95% CI = 1.81-3.48) in patients with ovarian cancer. In summary, WT1 overexpression indicates a poor prognosis in patients with some gynecological tumors, but more studies are needed to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Lu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University
| | - Yang Gu
- Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hong’ai Hospital, Xiamen, Fujian
| | - Huanxin Zhong
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Quzhou People's Hospital, Quzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaoxue Wang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University
| | - Zhenxia Zheng
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University
| | - Wenfeng Hu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University
| | - Lanling Wen
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University
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20
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Xi Z, Wang P, Xue Y, Shang C, Liu X, Ma J, Li Z, Li Z, Bao M, Liu Y. Overexpression of miR-29a reduces the oncogenic properties of glioblastoma stem cells by downregulating Quaking gene isoform 6. Oncotarget 2018; 8:24949-24963. [PMID: 28212562 PMCID: PMC5421901 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.15327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is the most common type of malignant primary brain tumor and has high recurrence and lethality rates. Glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), a subpopulation of glioblastoma cells, may promote rapid tumor recurrence and therapy resistance. Because altered microRNA (miR) expression in GSCs may lead to glioblastoma progression, we assessed the effects of miR-29a expression on the oncogenic behavior of GSCs. MiR-29a expression was lower in GSCs than non-GSCs, and overexpression of miR-29a in GSCs inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, but promoted apoptosis. MiR-29a directly inhibited the expression of Quaking gene isoform 6 (QKI-6) by binding to its 3'-UTR, and thus inhibited GSC malignant behavior. In addition, Wilms' tumor 1-associating protein (WTAP) was identified as a downstream target of QKI-6. Overexpression of miR-29a in GSCs inhibited expression of WTAP and suppressed both phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT and extracellular signal-related kinase pathways by downregulating QKI-6, thereby inhibiting cell proliferation, migration, and invasion but promoting apoptosis. We have characterized a novel miR-29a/QKI-6/WTAP axis in GSCs, which may provide theoretical support for the treatment of glioblastoma with miR-29a agomirs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Xi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, People's Republic of China.,Liaoning Research Center for Translational Medicine in Nervous System Disease, Shenyang 110004, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Basic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, People's Republic of China
| | - Yixue Xue
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Basic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, People's Republic of China
| | - Chao Shang
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Basic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaobai Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, People's Republic of China.,Liaoning Research Center for Translational Medicine in Nervous System Disease, Shenyang 110004, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Ma
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Basic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiqing Li
- Department of Neurobiology, College of Basic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhen Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, People's Republic of China.,Liaoning Research Center for Translational Medicine in Nervous System Disease, Shenyang 110004, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Bao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, People's Republic of China.,Liaoning Research Center for Translational Medicine in Nervous System Disease, Shenyang 110004, People's Republic of China
| | - Yunhui Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, People's Republic of China.,Liaoning Research Center for Translational Medicine in Nervous System Disease, Shenyang 110004, People's Republic of China
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The two glycolytic markers GLUT1 and MCT1 correlate with tumor grade and survival in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0193477. [PMID: 29481555 PMCID: PMC5826688 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer. Although ccRCC is characterized by common recurrent genetic abnormalities, including inactivation of the von Hippel-Lindau (vhl) tumor suppressor gene resulting in stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), the tumor aggressiveness and outcome of ccRCC is variable. New biomarkers are thus required to improve ccRCC diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic options. This work aims to investigate the expression of HIF and proteins involved in metabolism and pH regulation. Their correlation to histoprognostic parameters and survival was analyzed. Methods ccRCC of 45 patients were analyzed. HIF-1α, HIF-2α, HAF, GLUT1, MCT1, MCT4, CAIX and CAXII expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in a semi-quantitative and qualitative manner. The GLUT1, MCT1, MCT4, CAIX and CAXII mRNA levels were analyzed in an independent cohort of 43 patients. Results A significant correlation was observed between increased GLUT1, MCT1, CAXII protein expression and a high Fuhrman grade in ccRCC patients. Moreover, while HIF-1α, HIF-2α and HAF expression was heterogenous within tumors, we observed and confirmed that HIF-2α co-localized with HAF. We confirmed, in an independent cohort, that GLUT1, MCT1 and CAXII mRNA levels correlated with the Fuhrman grade. Moreover, we demonstrated that the high mRNA level of both MCT1 and GLUT1 correlated with poor prognosis. Conclusions This study demonstrates for the first time a link between the aggressiveness of high- Fuhrman grade ccRCC and metabolic reprogramming. It also confirms the role of HIF-2α and HAF in tumor invasiveness. Finally, these results demonstrate that MCT1 and GLUT1 are strong prognostic markers and promising therapeutic targets.
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Identification of WT1 as determinant of heptatocellular carcinoma and its inhibition by Chinese herbal medicine Salvia chinensis Benth and its active ingredient protocatechualdehyde. Oncotarget 2017; 8:105848-105859. [PMID: 29285297 PMCID: PMC5739684 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.22406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Candidates from Chinese herbal Medicine might be preferable in drug discovery as the abundant experiences of traditional use usually hint the clinical efficacy. In this study, we screened the anti-tumour effect of several commonly used Chinese herbal Medicines on human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HCC). We identified that Salvia chinensia Benth. (Shijianchuan in Chinese, SJC) exhibited prominent in vitro inhibition of HCC cells and suppressed the orthotopic growth of HCC in the liver of mice and repressed the lung metastasis of tumour cells. Using a pathway-specific PCR array and Gene Ontology analysis, we identified that Wnt/β-catenin pathway was associated with the suppressive effect of SJC on HCC cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. SJC repressed transcription activity of Wnt/β-catenin pathway and reduced expression of β-catenin in GSK-3β-independent but promoter-specific transcription inhibition mechanism. The suppressive effect of SJC on β-catenin expression and its transcription activity was associated with Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) protein. WT1 was overexpressed in HCC tissues, and was negatively correlated to the overall survival of HCC patients. WT1 promoted proliferation and invasion of HCC cells, as well as β-catenin-dependent transcription activation of Wnt products, while knockdown of WT1 had the opposite effect. Docking experiment revealed that protocatechualdehyde (PCA) might be the active component of the herb. PCA suppressed transcription activity of Wnt/β-catenin pathway in WT1-dependent manner. Our study sheds light on the potential of PCA from commonly used anti-cancer Chinese herbal Medicine SJC as a lead compound targeting WT1 in the discovery of anti-HCC drugs.
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23
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Qiu L, Tang Q, Li G, Chen K. Long non-coding RNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets: Recent insights into hepatocellular carcinoma. Life Sci 2017; 191:273-282. [PMID: 28987633 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2017.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent primary liver cancer worldwide, and the survival rates of patients with HCC remains quite low after 5years. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are a novel class of non-coding RNAs that are capable of regulating gene expression at various levels. Recent works have demonstrated that lncRNAs are often dysregulated in HCC, and the dysregulation of some of these lncRNAs are associated with the clinicopathological features of HCC. They regulate cell proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), invasion and metastasis of HCC by modulating gene expression and cancer-related signaling pathways, and thus contribute to the onset and progression of HCC. In this review, we provide a comprehensive survey of dysregulated lncRNAs in HCC, with particular focus on the functions and regulatory mechanisms of several essential and important lncRNAs, and discuss their potential clinical application as early diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lipeng Qiu
- Institute of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province 212013, China
| | - Qi Tang
- Institute of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province 212013, China
| | - Guohui Li
- Institute of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province 212013, China
| | - Keping Chen
- Institute of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province 212013, China.
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24
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Mžik M, Chmelařová M, John S, Laco J, Slabý O, Kiss I, Bohovicová L, Palička V, Nekvindová J. Aberrant methylation of tumour suppressor genes WT1, GATA5 and PAX5 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Chem Lab Med 2017; 54:1971-1980. [PMID: 27171388 DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2015-1198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aberrant hypermethylation of tumour suppressor genes (TSGs) occurring in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) could provide a mean of molecular characterisation of this cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate promoter methylation and gene expression of selected TSGs in HCC to identify candidate genes for further validation as potential biomarkers. METHODS Methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification method was used to measure the methylation status of 25 TSGs in 49 HCC samples and 36 corresponding non-cancerous liver tissue samples. Relative expression of the differentially methylated genes was assessed at the mRNA level using quantitative PCR. RESULTS We observed a significantly higher methylation in genes WT1, PAX5, PAX6, PYCARD and GATA5 in HCC compared with control samples. The expression of PAX5 was significantly decreased by methylation; conversely methylation of WT1 was associated with higher mRNA levels. Methylation of GATA5 was significantly associated with overall survival and methylation of WT1 and PAX5 significantly varied between patients with ALBI score 1 vs. 2+3. Moreover, PAX5 was significantly more methylated in patients with tumour grade 2+3 vs. grade 1, and methylation of the PAX5 correlated with the patient's age at the time of diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS HCC evince aberrant promoter methylation of WT1, PAX5, PAX6, PYCARD and GATA5 genes. Correlation between GATA5, WT1 and PAX5 methylation and clinical/histological parameters is suggestive of applicability of these markers in non-invasive (epi)genetic testing in HCC.
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25
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Maki T, Ikeda H, Kuroda A, Kyogoku N, Yamamura Y, Tabata Y, Abiko T, Tsuchikawa T, Hida Y, Shichinohe T, Tanaka E, Kaga K, Hatanaka K, Matsuno Y, Imai N, Hirano S. Differential detection of cytoplasmic Wilms tumor 1 expression by immunohistochemistry, western blotting and mRNA quantification. Int J Oncol 2016; 50:129-140. [DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2016.3786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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26
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Makowska Z, Boldanova T, Adametz D, Quagliata L, Vogt JE, Dill MT, Matter MS, Roth V, Terracciano L, Heim MH. Gene expression analysis of biopsy samples reveals critical limitations of transcriptome-based molecular classifications of hepatocellular carcinoma. JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY CLINICAL RESEARCH 2016; 2:80-92. [PMID: 27499918 PMCID: PMC4907058 DOI: 10.1002/cjp2.37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Molecular classification of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) could guide patient stratification for personalized therapies targeting subclass‐specific cancer ‘driver pathways’. Currently, there are several transcriptome‐based molecular classifications of HCC with different subclass numbers, ranging from two to six. They were established using resected tumours that introduce a selection bias towards patients without liver cirrhosis and with early stage HCCs. We generated and analyzed gene expression data from paired HCC and non‐cancerous liver tissue biopsies from 60 patients as well as five normal liver samples. Unbiased consensus clustering of HCC biopsy profiles identified 3 robust classes. Class membership correlated with survival, tumour size and with Edmondson and Barcelona Clinical Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage. When focusing only on the gene expression of the HCC biopsies, we could validate previously reported classifications of HCC based on expression patterns of signature genes. However, the subclass‐specific gene expression patterns were no longer preserved when the fold‐change relative to the normal tissue was used. The majority of genes believed to be subclass‐specific turned out to be cancer‐related genes differentially regulated in all HCC patients, with quantitative rather than qualitative differences between the molecular subclasses. With the exception of a subset of samples with a definitive β‐catenin gene signature, biological pathway analysis could not identify class‐specific pathways reflecting the activation of distinct oncogenic programs. In conclusion, we have found that gene expression profiling of HCC biopsies has limited potential to direct therapies that target specific driver pathways, but can identify subgroups of patients with different prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tujana Boldanova
- Department of BiomedicineUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland; Division of Hepatology and GastroenterologyUniversity Hospital of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - David Adametz
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science University of Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Luca Quagliata
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Julia E Vogt
- Department of Mathematics and Computer ScienceUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland; Present address: Computational Biology Center, Sloan-Kettering InstituteNew YorkUSA
| | - Michael T Dill
- Department of BiomedicineUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland; Division of Hepatology and GastroenterologyUniversity Hospital of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Mathias S Matter
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Volker Roth
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science University of Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Luigi Terracciano
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Basel Basel Switzerland
| | - Markus H Heim
- Department of BiomedicineUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland; Division of Hepatology and GastroenterologyUniversity Hospital of BaselBaselSwitzerland
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27
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Tagliamonte M, Petrizzo A, Tornesello ML, Ciliberto G, Buonaguro FM, Buonaguro L. Combinatorial immunotherapy strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma. Curr Opin Immunol 2016; 39:103-13. [PMID: 26851637 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2016.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Revised: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver malignancy. The prognosis for HCC patients greatly varies according to the stage at diagnosis. Overall it is poor, with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 5-6%. Immunotherapeutic interventions represent a novel and effective therapeutic tool. However, only few immunotherapy trials for HCC have been conducted so far with contrasting results, suggesting that significant improvements are needed. Indeed, the liver is characterized by a strong intrinsic immune suppressive microenvironment which needs to be counterbalanced with immune stimulatory approaches. Therefore, the implementation of combinatorial protocols combining immune stimulatory strategies with specific immunotherapy approaches could result in a dramatic improvement of efficacy and clinical outcome in HCC patients. The present review aims at describing the state of the art in immunotherapy strategies for HCC and future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Tagliamonte
- Lab of Molecular Biology & Viral Oncology, Dept Experimental Oncology
| | | | | | - Gennaro Ciliberto
- Scientific Direction, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, "Fondazione Pascale" - IRCCS, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Luigi Buonaguro
- Lab of Molecular Biology & Viral Oncology, Dept Experimental Oncology.
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28
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Harding JJ, El Dika I, Abou-Alfa GK. Immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma: Primed to make a difference? Cancer 2015; 122:367-77. [PMID: 26540029 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.29769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2015] [Revised: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) carries a dismal prognosis and the current treatment is limited to sorafenib, an agent with modest benefit. Preclinical data have indicated that several immunologic mechanisms are at play to promote HCC development and growth while impairing effective antitumor immune surveillance. Several novel approaches geared toward manipulating the immune response to HCC have suggested a therapeutic benefit in early-stage clinical trials, indicating a real potential to augment tumor-specific immunity and improve outcomes in patients with this disease. In the current study, the authors reviewed the barriers to an effective immune response against HCC and contemporary clinical investigations that may be "primed" to alter the natural history of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J Harding
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Imane El Dika
- Internal Medicine/Hematology and Oncology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Ghassan K Abou-Alfa
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
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29
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Lv L, Chen G, Zhou J, Li J, Gong J. WT1-AS promotes cell apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma through down-regulating of WT1. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2015; 34:119. [PMID: 26462627 PMCID: PMC4604772 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-015-0233-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Background The antisense of the tumor suppressor gene WT1 (WT1-AS) is a long non-coding RNA. The role of WT1-AS in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not yet been elucidated. Methods Quantitative real-time PCR and western blot analyses were used to measure levels of WT1-AS and its related genes in tumor and corresponding adjacent tumor tissues of HCC patients. The effect on HCC cell proliferation and apoptosis was assessed by EdU incorporation assays and PI-Annexin-V staining, respectively. ShRNA and dual-luciferase assays were used to investigate the regulatory relationship between WT1-AS and WT1 in cell lines. Results WT1-AS expression correlated negatively with WT1 expression in HCC tumor tissue. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis revealed that WT1-AS expression is a reliable indicator of HCC prognosis. The downregulation of WT1 expression by WT1-AS promoted cell apoptosis by suppressing the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway. Bioinformatics analysis showed that WT1-AS downregulates WT1 by binding to the TATA region of the WT1 promotor. WT1-AS was also able to reverse WT1-mediated resistance to Dox based chemotherapy in HCC cells. Conclusions WT1-AS downregulates WT1 expression in HCC tumors and promotes apoptosis by binding to the promoter region of WT1. Our findings suggest that WT1-AS may function as a tumor suppressor in HCC by reversing the oncogenic effects of WT1. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13046-015-0233-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Lv
- Department of General Surgery, People's Hospital of Gaochun, No. 9 Chunzhong Road, Gaochun, Nanjing, 211300, Jiangsu Province, China.
| | - Gong Chen
- Department of General Surgery, People's Hospital of Gaochun, No. 9 Chunzhong Road, Gaochun, Nanjing, 211300, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jianping Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, Yixing People's Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Yixing, 214200, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jun Li
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing Jiangning Hospital, the Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, Jiangsu Province, P.R. China
| | - Jianping Gong
- Department of General Surgery, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
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30
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Tumour antigen expression in hepatocellular carcinoma in a low-endemic western area. Br J Cancer 2015; 112:1911-20. [PMID: 26057582 PMCID: PMC4580401 DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2015.92] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Revised: 01/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Identification of tumour antigens is crucial for the development of
vaccination strategies against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Most studies
come from eastern-Asia, where hepatitis-B is the main cause of HCC. However,
tumour antigen expression is poorly studied in low-endemic, western areas
where the aetiology of HCC differs. Methods: We constructed tissue microarrays from resected HCC tissue of 133 patients.
Expression of a comprehensive panel of cancer-testis (MAGE-A1,
MAGE-A3/4, MAGE-A10, MAGE-C1, MAGE-C2, NY-ESO-1, SSX-2, sperm protein
17), onco-fetal (AFP, Glypican-3) and overexpressed tumour antigens
(Annexin-A2, Wilms tumor-1, Survivin, Midkine, MUC-1) was determined by
immunohistochemistry. Results: A higher prevalence of MAGE antigens was observed in patients with
hepatitis-B. Patients with expression of more tumour antigens in general had
better HCC-specific survival (P=0.022). The four tumour
antigens with high expression in HCC and no, or weak, expression in
surrounding tumour-free-liver tissue, were Annexin-A2, GPC-3, MAGE-C1 and
MAGE-C2, expressed in 90, 39, 17 and 20% of HCCs, respectively.
Ninety-five percent of HCCs expressed at least one of these four tumour
antigens. Interestingly, GPC-3 was associated with SALL-4 expression
(P=0.001), an oncofetal transcription factor highly
expressed in embryonal stem cells. SALL-4 and GPC-3 expression levels were
correlated with vascular invasion, poor differentiation and higher AFP
levels before surgery. Moreover, patients who co-expressed higher levels of
both GPC-3 and SALL-4 had worse HCC-specific survival
(P=0.018). Conclusions: We describe a panel of four tumour antigens with excellent coverage and good
tumour specificity in a western area, low-endemic for hepatitis-B. The
association between GPC-3 and SALL-4 is a novel finding and suggests that
GPC-3 targeting may specifically attack the tumour stem-cell
compartment.
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31
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Qi XW, Zhang F, Wu H, Liu JL, Zong BG, Xu C, Jiang J. Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) expression and prognosis in solid cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep 2015; 5:8924. [PMID: 25748047 PMCID: PMC4352850 DOI: 10.1038/srep08924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Though proposed as a promising target antigen for cancer immunotherapy, the prognostic value of Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) in solid tumors remains inconclusive. Here, we report a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between WT1 expression and prognosis in solid tumors. PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar were searched to identify studies exploring the impact of WT1 on clinical outcomes, including overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), disease-free survival (DFS), relapse/recurrence-free survival (RFS) or progression-free survival (PFS), in solid cancer patients. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were applied to assess the strength of these associations. Finally, a total of 29 eligible studies with 4090 patients were identified for qualitative analysis, and 22 studies with 3620 patients were enrolled for quantitative synthesis. Overall, positive expression of WT1 was significantly associated with worse OS (metaHR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.11–1.97) and DFS/RFS/PFS (metaHR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.42–3.21). Subgroup analyses showed that WT1 positive expression could independently predict unfavorable DFS/RFS/PFS (metaHR = 1.86, 95%CI = 1.04–3.35). In summary, our study suggests that WT1 may be a potential marker to predict DFS/RFS/PFS in solid tumor patients. Further studies are needed to confirm the role of WT1 expression in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-wei Qi
- 1] Breast Disease Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China [2] Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing, China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Breast Disease Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hong Wu
- Department of Oncology, Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Jun-lan Liu
- Breast Disease Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bei-ge Zong
- Breast Disease Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chuan Xu
- 1] Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing, China [2] Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jun Jiang
- Breast Disease Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
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32
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Iranparast S, Assarehzadegan MA, Heike Y, Hossienzadeh M, Khodadadi A. Wilms' Tumor Gene (WT1) Expression Correlates with Vascular Epithelial Growth Factor (VEGF) in Newly Acute Leukemia Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2014; 15:9217-23. [DOI: 10.7314/apjcp.2014.15.21.9217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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33
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Jenke AC, Hensel KO, Klein A, Willuhn L, Prax S, Weil PP, Winkler T, Deba T, Orth V, Baiker A, Wirth S, Postberg J. Restitution of gene expression and histone acetylation signatures altered by hepatitis B virus through antiviral microRNA-like molecules in nontransformed murine hepatocytes. Clin Epigenetics 2014; 6:26. [PMID: 25859285 PMCID: PMC4391130 DOI: 10.1186/1868-7083-6-26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Virus-host interactions result in altered gene expression profiles in host cell nuclei and enable virus particle production, thus obligatorily involving changes in their epigenomes. Neither such epigenome changes nor their response to antiviral treatment have been extensively studied to date, although viral infections are known to contribute to the long-term development of severe secondary diseases, for example, hepatocellular carcinoma. This may be causally linked to virus-induced persistent plastic chromatin deformations. RESULTS We studied whether impaired hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication can lead to the restitution of epigenome signatures hypothesizing that hepatocytes alternatively could adopt a 'memory' state of the infection; that is, the chromatin could persist in a HBV-induced configuration potentially inheritable between dividing hepatocytes. We therefore determined epigenomic signatures and gene expression changes altered by HBV and the effects of suppressed HBV replication in nontransformed hepatocytes of newborn mice. Further we investigated differential histone acetyltransferase and histone deacetylase activities in HBV-negative and HBVpositive hepatocytes, as well as the effects of HBV suppression on gene expression and the chromatin landscape. We show that the expression of several genes and the chromatin landscape become altered upon HBV infection, including global hypoacetylation of H2A.Z and H3K9. Reporter assays monitoring the activities of histone acetyltransferases or histone deacetylases, respectively, suggest that hypoacetylation most probably depends on elevated sirtuin deacetylase activity, but not on class I/II histone deacetylases. Using Micrococcus nuclease to study the chromatin accessibility in met murine-D3 and hepatitis B virus met murine hepatocytes, we demonstrate that the observed differences in H2A.Z/H3K9 acetylation lead to global chromatin structure changes. At all selected sites examined by chromatin immunoprecipitation and quantitative real-time PCR, these effects can be partly restituted via the nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor 3TC or using anti-HBV microRNA-like molecules. CONCLUSIONS Increased sirtuin activity might lead to global histone hypoacetylation signatures, which could contribute to the HBV-induced pathomechanism in nontransformed hepatocytes. Using several techniques to suppress HBV replication, we observed restituted gene expression and chromatin signature patterns reminiscent of noninfected hepatocytes. Importantly, ectopic expression of antiviral short-hairpin RNA, but not microRNA-like molecules, provoked intolerable off-target effects on the gene expression level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Cw Jenke
- Department of Paediatrics, HELIOS Medical Centre Wuppertal, Centre for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), Faculty of Health, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Heusnerstr. 40, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Kai O Hensel
- Department of Paediatrics, HELIOS Medical Centre Wuppertal, Centre for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), Faculty of Health, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Heusnerstr. 40, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Andreas Klein
- Department of Paediatrics, HELIOS Medical Centre Wuppertal, Centre for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), Faculty of Health, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Heusnerstr. 40, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Lisa Willuhn
- Department of Paediatrics, HELIOS Medical Centre Wuppertal, Centre for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), Faculty of Health, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Heusnerstr. 40, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Susanna Prax
- Department of Paediatrics, HELIOS Medical Centre Wuppertal, Centre for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), Faculty of Health, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Heusnerstr. 40, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Patrick P Weil
- Department of Paediatrics, HELIOS Medical Centre Wuppertal, Centre for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), Faculty of Health, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Heusnerstr. 40, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Theodor Winkler
- Department of Paediatrics, HELIOS Medical Centre Wuppertal, Centre for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), Faculty of Health, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Heusnerstr. 40, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Timo Deba
- Department of Paediatrics, HELIOS Medical Centre Wuppertal, Centre for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), Faculty of Health, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Heusnerstr. 40, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Valerie Orth
- Department of Paediatrics, HELIOS Medical Centre Wuppertal, Centre for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), Faculty of Health, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Heusnerstr. 40, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Armin Baiker
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Veterinaerstrasse 2, D-85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany
| | - Stefan Wirth
- Department of Paediatrics, HELIOS Medical Centre Wuppertal, Centre for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), Faculty of Health, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Heusnerstr. 40, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Jan Postberg
- Department of Paediatrics, HELIOS Medical Centre Wuppertal, Centre for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), Faculty of Health, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Witten/Herdecke University, Heusnerstr. 40, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany
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Buonaguro L, Petrizzo A, Tagliamonte M, Tornesello ML, Buonaguro FM. Challenges in cancer vaccine development for hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatol 2013; 59:897-903. [PMID: 23714157 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2013.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2013] [Revised: 05/16/2013] [Accepted: 05/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver malignancy, representing the third and fifth leading cause of death from cancer worldwide in men and women, respectively. The main risk factor for the development of HCC is the hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV) infection; non-viral causes (e.g., alcoholism and aflatoxin) are additional risk factors. HCC prognosis is generally poor because of the low effectiveness of available treatments and the overall 5-year survival rate is approximately 5-6%. In this framework, immunotherapeutic interventions, including cancer vaccines, may represent a novel and effective therapeutic tool. However, only few immunotherapy trials for HCC have been conducted so far with contrasting results, suggesting that improvements in several aspects of the immunotherapy approaches need to be implemented. In particular, identification of novel specific tumor antigens and evaluation of most advanced combinatorial strategies could result in unprecedented clinical outcomes with great beneficial effect for HCC patients. The state of the art in immunotherapy strategies for HCC and future perspectives are reported in the present review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Buonaguro
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology, Department of Experimental Oncology, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori "Fondazione Pascale" - IRCCS, Naples, Italy.
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Wilms' tumor 1 gene modulates Fas-related death signals and anti-apoptotic functions in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Gastroenterol 2013; 48:1069-80. [PMID: 23142971 DOI: 10.1007/s00535-012-0708-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2012] [Accepted: 10/16/2012] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) gene is known to be overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to upregulate tumor growth and oncogenic potential, although the detailed mechanisms remain to be elucidated. METHODS We identified host genes involved in WT1 gene modulation of human liver cancer cell lines in vitro, and further characterized genes related to apoptosis. Moreover, we evaluated the alteration of genes by WT1 in 40 HCC and 58 non-HCC human liver samples collected at resection. RESULTS Analysis of the effect of small interfering RNAs-mediated knock-down of WT1 on apoptosis using an annexin V labeling assay, and on modulation of the activity of caspases-3, -8 and -9, indicated that WT1 has an anti-apoptotic role. We identified three apoptosis-related genes that were modulated by WT1; the cellular FLICE-inhibitory proteins (cFLIP) gene was upregulated, and Fas-associated death domain (FADD) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) were downregulated. Interestingly, knock-down of FADD or NF-κB resulted in the upregulation of WT1, and the expression of cFLIP changed in parallel with WT1 expression. We further evaluated WT1-mediated alteration of genes in HCC and non-HCC human liver samples. Both HCC and non-HCC tissues that expressed relatively high levels of WT1 showed cFLIP overexpression. CONCLUSIONS WT1 modulates cFLIP, FADD and NF-κB, and has an anti-apoptotic role in HCC. This mechanism of action of WT1 could be related to the tumor growth and oncogenic potential of HCC.
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QI XIAOWEI, ZHANG FAN, YANG XINHUA, FAN LINJUN, ZHANG YI, LIANG YAN, REN LIN, ZHONG LING, CHEN QINGQIU, ZHANG KONGYONG, ZANG WEIDONG, WANG LISHAN, ZHANG YING, JIANG JUN. High Wilms’ tumor 1 mRNA expression correlates with basal-like and ERBB2 molecular subtypes and poor prognosis of breast cancer. Oncol Rep 2012; 28:1231-6. [DOI: 10.3892/or.2012.1906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2012] [Accepted: 05/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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Qin Q, Lin YW, Zheng XY, Chen H, Mao QQ, Yang K, Huang SJ, Zhao ZY. RNAa-mediated overexpression of WT1 induces apoptosis in HepG2 cells. World J Surg Oncol 2012; 10:11. [PMID: 22244202 PMCID: PMC3268108 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7819-10-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2011] [Accepted: 01/13/2012] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim Recent studies have reported that double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) can activate gene expression by targeting promoter sequence in a process termed RNA activation. The present study was conducted to evaluate the potential of WT1 induction by small activating RNA targeting the WT1 promoter (dsWT1) in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods The human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 was transfected with dsRNA by liposomes. The expression of mRNA and protein in cells were investigated using real-time reverse real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot, respectively. Cell viability and clonogenicity were determined by MTT assay and clonogenicity assay, respectively. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow-cytometric analysis. Results Expressions of WT1 mRNA and protein in dsWT1 treated HepG2 cells were significantly elevated. Inhibition of cell viability by dsWT1 was dose-dependent and time-dependent. Reduction of the number and size of colonies formed were found in dsWT1 treated cells. dsWT1 induced significant apoptosis in HepG2 cells. The decreased anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and elevated pro-apoptotic protein Bak expression were detected in dsWT1 treated cells. The level of pro-caspase-3 remarkably decreased and cleaved caspase-3 and PARP fragment were also detected in dsWT1 treated cells. Conclusion These data show that RNAa-mediated overexpression of WT1 may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Qin
- Department of General Surgery, Children Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China
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Oue T, Uehara S, Yamanaka H, Takama Y, Oji Y, Fukuzawa M. Expression of Wilms tumor 1 gene in a variety of pediatric tumors. J Pediatr Surg 2011; 46:2233-8. [PMID: 22152856 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2011.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2011] [Accepted: 09/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) gene is overexpressed in many types of neoplasms, thus suggesting that WT1 has oncogenic properties. Therefore, WT1 is a molecular target for cancer therapy. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the WT1 gene expression in various pediatric tumors and to elucidate that WT1 can be a target of cancer therapy in pediatric malignancies. PATIENTS AND METHODS The expression of WT1 protein was examined in 60 cases of primary pediatric tumors. The levels of WT1 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression were examined by a quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis in frozen tissue samples from 56 cases with pediatric tumors. RESULTS Immunohistochemical staining revealed that WT1 protein was widely detected in pediatric malignancies. The alveolar subtype of rhabdomyosarcoma showed more intensive staining than the embryonal subtype. The positive rate of the alveolar type was significantly higher than that of the embryonal type. The expression of WT1 mRNA in the tumor samples varied widely. However, no significant correlation was observed between WT1 mRNA expression and clinical factors. CONCLUSION The WT1 expression was broadly detected in various pediatric neoplasms. These results indicate that WT1 may therefore be a potentially useful therapeutic target in most of pediatric malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takaharu Oue
- Department of Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Wilms tumor gene 1 (WT1) contributes to uterine sarcoma tumor biology. In this study, we aimed to clarify the prognostic value of WT1. METHODS A retrospective clinical and histopathological review of 71 women with high-grade uterine sarcoma (leiomyosarcoma [n = 24], undifferentiated sarcoma [n = 9]), and carcinosarcoma (n = 38) was performed. Patients were followed up for at least 12 months. Wilms tumor gene 1 expression was determined by immunohistochemistry. Data on recurrence (progression-free survival) and overall survival (OS) were available for all patients. Univariate and multivariate analyses of WT1 expression were carried out using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression, respectively. RESULTS Forty-nine (69%) tumors were WT1 positive. Forty-seven (66%) patients died of the disease, with a median OS time of 22 months. Wilms tumor gene 1 was a predictor of survival in the univariate analysis: the hazard ratio of WT1 positivity was 2.44 (95% confidence interval, 1.34-4.71) for progression-free survival and 2.48 (95% confidence interval, 1.26-4.90) for OS. Multivariate analysis including stage, age, tumor size, and sarcoma subtype identified only stage and WT1 positivity as independent prognostic markers for survival. CONCLUSIONS The identification of WT1 as a prognostic marker confirms its role in high-grade uterine sarcoma and carcinosarcoma tumor biology.
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Clarke JM, Morse MA, Lyerly HK, Clay T, Osada T. Adenovirus vaccine immunotherapy targeting WT1-expressing tumors. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2010; 10:875-83. [DOI: 10.1517/14712591003798278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Rinaldi M, Iurescia S, Fioretti D, Ponzetto A, Carloni G. Strategies for Successful Vaccination against Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 2009; 22:269-77. [DOI: 10.1177/039463200902200203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Current therapies against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are not curative in the majority of patients. In the past, immunotherapy approaches aimed to non-specifically stimulate immune response were quite ineffective. New treatments based on stimulation of specific anti-tumor immune response are currently proposed and appear more promising. Tumor-specific antigens identified in HCC demonstrated immunogenicity both in preclinical and clinical trials. Effectiveness in animal studies raised interest in the clinical applicability of non-specific adoptive immunotherapy that prevented disease recurrence after tumor resection. Dendritic cell (DC)-based tumor vaccines achieved encouraging results, and cellular vaccines based on DCs have already entered clinical trials. Preventive and therapeutic DNA vaccination have been proposed, all based on tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), either modified or not, an example being alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). The concomitant expression of co-stimulatory molecules and cytokines was used to increase tumor immunogenicity. Syngeneic or nude mice models indicated that immunotherapy for HCC could stimulate an anti-tumor T-cell response leading to clinical benefit devoid of significant toxicity. The use of DNA-based vaccination raises exciting possibilities in preventing HCC in high-risk individuals such as those with cirrhosis. Novel immunotherapy strategies may contribute in the future to prevention and treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - A. Ponzetto
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Turin, Italy
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Perugorria MJ, Castillo J, Latasa MU, Goñi S, Segura V, Sangro B, Prieto J, Avila MA, Berasain C. Wilms' tumor 1 gene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma promotes cell dedifferentiation and resistance to chemotherapy. Cancer Res 2009; 69:1358-67. [PMID: 19190340 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-08-2545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The Wilms' tumor 1 gene (WT1) encodes a transcription factor involved in cell growth and development. As we previously reported, WT1 expression is hardly detectable in normal hepatic tissue but is induced in liver cirrhosis. Although WT1 has been found to be overexpressed in a number of malignancies, the role of WT1 in hepatocarcinogenesis has not been clarified. We found that WT1 is expressed in several human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines, including PLC/PRF/5 and HepG2, and in HCC tumor tissue in 42% of patients. WT1 small interfering RNAs did not affect proliferation rate of HCC cells but abrogated their resistance to anoikis. Transcriptome analysis of PLC/PRF/5 cells after WT1 knockdown showed up-regulation of 251 genes and down-regulation of 321. Ninety percent of the former corresponded to metabolic genes, mostly those characterizing the mature hepatocyte phenotype. On the contrary, genes that decreased upon WT1 inhibition were mainly related to defense against apoptosis, cell cycle, and tumor progression. In agreement with these findings, WT1 expression increased the resistance of liver tumor cells to doxorubicin, a compound used to treat HCC. Interestingly, doxorubicin strongly enhanced WT1 expression in both HCC cells and normal human hepatocytes. Among different chemotherapeutics, induction of WT1 transcription was restricted to topoisomerase 2 inhibitors. When WT1 expression was prohibited, doxorubicin caused a marked increase in caspase-3 activation. In conclusion, WT1 is expressed in a substantial proportion of HCC contributing to tumor progression and resistance to chemotherapy, suggesting that WT1 may be an important target for HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria J Perugorria
- Division of Hepatology and Gene Therapy,CIMA and CIBERehd, University Clinic, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
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